Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, Seha, has announced the results of achieving a new milestone in Peritoneal Dialysis. Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, SKMC, part of Seha’s network, has successfully completed 60 kidney transplant operations since 2018, 35 of which were successful kidney transplant operations from living donors and five from late donors during 2018.

Since the start of 2019, there have been 20 surgeries completed.

Dr Mohammad Yahya Al Seiari, Consultant Physician at SKMC, who specialises in kidney dialysis, said, “The success rate of kidney transplant operations is fare better [compared] to the success rate of kidney dialysis, which has historically led to complications and side effects for the heart. Most notably, the medical diagnostics of a kidney transplant increases a patient’s life expectancy around 10 to 12 years and improves the quality of their life overall.

Furthermore, the cost of annual dialysis can amount to Dh250,000 — the same as the cost of a kidney transplant. If we were to account for a total cost of the operation and treatment of kidney transplants, they could amount to Dh30,000 per year, when accounting for immunosuppressive drugs.”

In turn, Dr. Ayman Kamal Al Madani, acting deputy CEO for Seha’s Kidney Dialysis Services, reaffirmed that kidney dialysis services are available in Abu Dhabi, through a comprehensive network of clinics including SKMC, Al Mafraq Hospital, Tawam Hospital, and Al Dhafra Hospital.

“These institutions serve and treat up to 1,000 patients, wherein each patient needs three sessions per week. This would add up to 140,000 sessions annually, and the treatment of up to 40 patients with Peritoneal Dialysis. In addition, we cater to the needs of kidney dialysis outpatients through clinics that operate from 8am to 4apm daily, except Fridays,” said Dr Al Madani.

Seha Kidney Dialysis Services has completed 248,321 sessions of kidney dialysis for inpatients and outpatients during the year of 2018. The figure encompassed the first five months of 2019, wherein 226,340 outpatients received sessions and 21,981 sessions were received for inpatients.

Of the 248,321 sessions, 70,784 were completed at SKMC, 79,120 sessions at Al Mafraq Hospital, 8,452 sessions at Tawam Hospital and, 13,965 at Al Dhafra.